Lead counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN), has withdrawn from representing him in the ongoing terrorism trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Kanu is currently facing a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism, filed against him by the Federal Government.

When the case came up on Thursday, Agabi informed the court that he and other members of the defence team would no longer be representing the IPOB leader, explaining that the defendant had chosen to take back the case from them.

In a similar move, all other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) on Kanu’s legal team also announced their withdrawal from the case.

Confirming the development, Kanu told the court he would represent himself for now, though he noted that the arrangement could change later.

During the proceedings, Justice James Omotosho, who presided over the trial, asked whether a lawyer should be assigned to represent Kanu, but the defendant declined the offer.

The IPOB leader also made an oral submission, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction to try him.

Justice Omotosho had, on October 16, granted Kanu six consecutive days, beginning from October 23, to open and close his defence in line with the court’s earlier directive for an accelerated hearing.

The defendant had previously listed several high-profile individuals — including former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd); and former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) — as part of his proposed witnesses.

The case continues before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

More to come…

Some engineers recently dismissed by the Dangote Refinery have denied claims that there were 22 incidents of sabotage at the multibillion-dollar facility, including attempts to set it on fire.

The sacked workers, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, insisted that the allegations were false and accused the refinery of punishing them for joining the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

According to them, if the refinery truly recorded several sabotage attempts, “someone would have been arrested or prosecuted by now.”

“From media reports, they said they have evidence. How can there be evidence without suspects?” one of the engineers asked.

The group said no member of the refinery’s technical team ever attempted to destroy or damage the facility, adding that many of them were part of the core professionals who built the plant.

“Some of us helped build this refinery. How could we turn around to destroy it? We love the project and want it to succeed,” a dismissed worker said.

During a media tour of the refinery last Friday, Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of the Dangote Group, had said the sacked engineers were dismissed for acts of sabotage, not union activities.

Edwin maintained that the company had documented “22 cases of sabotage,” including incidents where some workers allegedly attempted to set fire to certain sections of the refinery or tamper with key equipment.

“We have been under repeated attacks. Fortunately, it’s an ultramodern refinery. Whenever someone tries to start a fire or tamper with a system, our safety mechanisms respond automatically,” he stated.

He added that the company embarked on a massive reorganisation to protect its operations and dismissed suggestions that the exercise was linked to pressure from PENGASSAN.

However, the sacked engineers insist their dismissal was a direct response to unionisation efforts, noting that they had merely volunteered to join PENGASSAN before their contracts were abruptly terminated.

The dispute had led to a strike by oil and gas workers three weeks ago, which disrupted operations and affected national oil output and power generation.

The Federal Government later intervened, directing the Dangote Group to recall or redeploy the affected staff.

Although sources within the company hinted at plans to redeploy the engineers to other business units such as the Dangote Sugar and Dangote Cement plants, the workers told reporters they had not been contacted since their September salary was paid on October 6.

“We are still at home; no communication so far. We’re waiting for the next decision of the company,” one of them confirmed.

The Dangote Refinery, commissioned in 2023, remains one of Africa’s largest industrial projects, but recent labour tensions have renewed debates over workers’ rights and corporate accountability within the private sector.

The newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, will formally assume office today, Wednesday, October 23, 2025, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

An internal memo signed by Wilfred Ifogah, Deputy Director of Publicity, for the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, announced that Amupitan will hold his first official meeting with INEC directors at 1:30 p.m. in the Commission’s conference hall.

Amupitan’s resumption follows his swearing-in by President Bola Tinubu, coming after the completion of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s two-term tenure (2015–2025). Yakubu oversaw two general elections and several off-cycle polls that shaped Nigeria’s democratic landscape.

Ahead of his assumption, key members of civil society have urged the new INEC boss to build on the reforms and gains achieved under his predecessor.

At a colloquium organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) in Abuja, stakeholders described sustaining the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system as a shared responsibility among political parties, the judiciary, security agencies, and citizens.

The event, themed “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Reflections on a Decade of INEC Leadership,” brought together political actors, academics, and civil society leaders who lauded Yakubu’s legacy of institutional and technological reform.

Deputy National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Hon. Dipo Olayoku, commended Yakubu’s introduction of technology-driven innovations, which he said enhanced transparency and credibility in election management.

“Conducting elections in Nigeria remains one of the most complex national tasks,” Olayoku noted. “Through the use of technology, Professor Yakubu made our elections more credible and acceptable. His innovations have brought a new level of transparency to the process.”

He, however, lamented that the lack of accountability for electoral offences continues to undermine progress, stressing that unpunished wrongdoing limits reform impact.

Similarly, the Executive Director of the Pioneering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Nigeria (PAACA), Chief Ezenwa Nwagwu, hailed Yakubu’s tenure as a period of “remarkable innovation,” citing the electronic transmission of results via the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) as a milestone in electoral transparency.

As Amupitan takes over the reins, expectations remain high for him to consolidate these reforms, deepen transparency, and steer the Commission toward a more credible and resilient electoral system ahead of future polls.